BMTF likely to be defanged

BANGALORE: The agitating BBMP employees are likely to have their way. Bowing to their pressure tactics, the state government may take away policing powers from the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) and merge the watchdog with the BBMP, highly-placed sources said.
Sources admitted that the move to clip the BMTF's investigative powers is to safeguard politicians and their henchmen in the BBMP officialdom, involved in cases of irregularities taken up by the watchdog.
BBMP workers are demanding the transfer of BMTF chief IGP RP Sharma or curtailing the investigative powers of the force.
Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy told the media on Thursday that he had written to chief minister Jagadish Shettar, requesting him to withdraw BMTF's prosecution powers. "BMTF must be there just as a police station. It should be authorized to take complaints only after obtaining the commissioner's consent, and even then, the complaint should be registered with the local police station and not the BMTF," the mayor said.
The state home department, in a notification on May 27, 1996, constituted the BMTF as a police station. Another urban development department notification of August 28, 1997, categorically stated that the BMTF is a police station to protect, detect and prosecute offenders under 12 different acts, including the KMC Act, BDA Act, BWSSB Act, Inam Abolition Act and IPC.
BMTF sources said they are at a loss to understand the backlash from BBMP employees, as the force was only carrying out its mandate.
In a letter dated September 30, 2009, then BBMP commissioner Bharat Lal Meena had said that criminal charges would be filed against joint directors and other engineers if they failed to give a report on byelaw violations happening in their jurisdiction areas.
"Despite such a circular, there have been violations in building construction everywhere and thus, complaints by the public. In his letter, Meena clearly stated that criminal charges would be taken up against engineers who fail to perform their duties and that's exactly what we are doing," said BMTF sources.
I AM ONLY DOING MY JOB
I am only doing what I have been authorized to do. We took up investigation in 127 cases after courts asked us to do so. An assistant engineer told us during investigation that he allowed violations because of political pressure. But he never revealed any name. In BBMP, there is no rule of law, only the rule of man. BMTF has not received complaints against any MLA or corporator.
RP Sharma | igp, bmtf
Cleared by: s prasad